At 10:00 a.m. on January 21st, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a crowd of several hundred participants departed Riverton City Park.
The sound of drums and singing were accompanied by the sight of flags waving and homemade signs encouraging peace. An approximately 15-minute walk to Riverton City Hall was met by motorists and onlookers taking photos and honking horns in support. One motorist flashed the two finger “peace sign” at the group, which was returned by several in the walk. At roughly 10:15 a.m. supporters gathered inside the much warmer Riverton City Hall. A handful of supporters took turns speaking in support of King’s legacy and preaching peace in Fremont County.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. / Equality Day Walk has taken place in Riverton every year since 2003, making this the 16th.
In 2003, the event was created in response to a white supremacist group that had attempted to move into central Wyoming. Six months later, the World Church of the Creator left Riverton.
“The publicity hurt our town a little bit,” said Tim Thorson, former executive director of the Riverton Chamber of Commerce. “But if anything, between more people thinking about tolerance and thinking about where this sort of hate thinking leads, it’s only made our community a lot stronger.”
Students from Wyoming Indian Schools, Arapahoe Schools, and St. Stephens Indian Schools participated in the walk. One Arapahoe High School student told us, “MLK did so much for everyone, not just African Americans, it’s important to remember his legacy even in our little communities.”
